An upcoming book about Google claims that Eric Schmidt, who is to step down this week as chief executive, once asked for information about a political donation he made to be removed from the internet giant's search engine, The New York Times has reported.

An upcoming book about Google claims that Eric Schmidt, who is to step down this week as chief executive, once asked for information about a political donation he made to be removed from the internet giant's search engine, The New York Times has reported.

Mr Schmidt's request is recounted in the book In the Plex: How Google Thinks, Works and Shapes Our Lives, by technology journalist Steven Levy, the Timessaid on Friday.

The newspaper said Levy spent three years reporting inside the company to write the book, which is to appear in US stores on April 12.